Many experts feel that at least 56% or more of the senior population in the United States suffers from inadequate nutrition, and this includes seniors who live in hospitals, rehab centers, assisted living communities and nursing homes. While there is a range of reasons for this collective malnourishment, malnutrition exacerbates any latent physical or mental conditions – including Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. This is why preventing malnutrition is so importanat.

Thus, it’s important that seniors, their loved ones, and caregivers take proper precautions to ensure elder individuals are properly nourished and hydrated.

The following are simple, affordable and actionable steps you can take to ensure your senior loved one is eating well and getting the nutrients s/he needs regularly:

Seek meal assistance

There are several ways seniors can receive well-balanced meals on a daily or weekly basis. One of these is via volunteer, senior-services type options, like Meals-on-Wheels. Organizations like these bring meals right to seniors’ doors on a sliding scale basis – with some seniors qualifying for free meals.

Is the senior a member of a charge or a spiritual congregation? Contact the pastor or spiritual leader and see if their community provides meal services or support of any kind.

Companion and home care services also offer meal services to their clients. These services cost a reasonable amount but are far less expensive than costs associated with assisted living or nursing home care and can also include other caregiving services as needed, including driving, errand running, light housekeeping, organization, medication reminders, grooming, and hygiene, etc.

Preventing malnutrition with easy snacks

Preparing and cooking food is a labor-intensive endeavor, and the labor intensifies when paired with memory- or mobility issues. Instead of seniors having to prepare large meals for themselves, stock their fridge each week with easy-to-assemble and/or ready-to-eat foods.

Ideas include pre-cut veggies with ranch or another tasty dip, pre-made deli sandwiches, fresh fruit cut up into bite-sized pieces, cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, etc. Meal replacement drinks, like Ensure, are fine once in a while but should not be used as meal supplements on a regular basis.

Company’s like Schwann’s or Blue Apron are also a great idea for seniors who are able to cook their own meals but want to simplify the shopping and preparation steps required to eat a good meal.

Stay in touch with healthcare providers

Sometimes a lack of appetite turns out to be an unaddressed health issue, the beginning stages of dementia, an undiagnosed infection or an adverse reaction to a medication. Contacting the senior’s healthcare providers is an important step in ruling out and/or identifying the causes of appetite loss so they are immediately addressed.

Make food compelling

Have you reviewed the individuals’ list of dietary restrictions? It could be that the only foods s/he is allowed to eat are bland and unappealing. If this is the case, it’s time to spice – or flavor things up – introducing new vegetables, using lemon juice, salt substitutes, herbs, and spices, etc.

Focus on an anti-inflammatory diet

We also recommend reviewing the tenets of an anti-inflammatory diet. Our post, Senior Care Tips: Focus on an Anti-Inflammatory Diet, goes into this in greater detail. However, this “diet” includes plenty of delicious and healthy food options but eliminates the processed food, simple carbs and excessive sugars that lead to inflammation and exacerbate the large majority of senior-centric health ailments.

If you follow an anti-inflammatory or similar dietary guidelines, you’ll be hard-pressed to not get the nourishment your body needs!

Get plenty of exercise

Yes, moving burns calories – but that’s what’s so great about it. Sedentary lifestyles are no good for anyone. Regular, daily exercise – tailored to the senior’s physical ability and needs – will ramp up a lagging appetite. When you provide the right foods, snacks and meals, any increase in exercise results in an improved appetite and a greater amount of nutritious calories consumed; it’s a win-win for all.

Let Us Help

Would you like to provide healthy meals for a senior you care about? Contact us here at Homeaide Home Care. We’ve provided high-quality, licensed, compassionate care for seniors in both homes and assisted living communities – helping them by preventing malnutrition and to thrive. We look forward to doing the same for your loved one.

Money-conscious seniors may find it difficult to dispose of “perfectly good” expired meds and opt to continue taking them, allowing their new meds to accumulate. Other times, unsuspecting seniors wind up “sharing” strong pain meds or other medications with relatives to take them directly from their medicine cabinets. These are all examples of why medication management is so important for seniors and their loved ones.

If your parents or grandparents have medicine cabinets chock-full of prescription medications and other pill bottles, take the time to organize them, secure them in a restricted access container or location, and determine best-practices for keeping both your loved ones safe.

Prescription Medications Management for Seniors

Medication management for seniors ensure medications are taken as prescribed, are not expired, and don’t find their way into the wrong hands.

Prevent medication hoarding

Hoarding takes place in multiple ways. Sometimes, it’s the inadvertent hoarding that occurs when seniors neglect to safely dispose of old and/or expired medications causing them to accumulate en masse. Other times, it happens because seniors find great deals online and can’t resist “bargain bin” prices offered online or on TV ads (both of which are suspect).

In addition to clutter, medication hoarding increases the chances of a senior taking the wrong medicine by mistake or someone else illegally getting their hands on a prescription medication that is addictive or can be sold on the black market. Either scenario is a recipe for serious harm.

Remain in touch with your senior’s physician so you can keep up communication as needed around new medications, any undesirable side-effects and/or the senior’s resistance to taking a medication. You should also let the physician know if the patient is insisting on taking old meds so the doctor can speak to them about it and advise against it.

Prevent medication borrowing and sharing

Often, medical conditions create a fair amount of pain or discomfort for seniors, which paves the way for prescriptions to serious pain medications. Heavy medications, like opiates and antianxiety meds, are commonly included as part of hospice or palliative care, and they require careful monitoring to ensure they’re being used as directed, and only by the patient for whom they were prescribed.

Keep medications locked up or in a safe. Any prescription medications – narcotics or otherwise – should be kept in a safe or in a locked medicine cabinet. The combinations or keys to the cabinet should only be given to seniors and their immediate caregivers. If a senior has dementia, the combination should be changed. Inventory should be done regularly to ensure medications are being taken as prescribed.

Immediately investigate missing medications. If you notice medications are missing, begin investigating immediately. If you suspect the senior is taking more than prescribed, or that cognitive decline is causing them to unwittingly overdose on meds, consider working with licensed home care professionals who can provide medication reminders as well as other services that increase support so the individual can continue to age in place.

Complete POA and Advanced medical directives. If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to complete a Power-of-Attorney (POA) and an advanced medical directive. This helps to prevent seniors with dementia or cognitive decline from harming themselves by retaining full control of their medication prescriptions when they’re no longer able to make healthy choices. If you notice your loved one is taking old medications, is suffering negative side effects from a current medication or is not taking their medication as prescribed, a POA can be your greatest ally as you work with their physician to come up with solutions.

Do you worry a senior loved one isn’t taking their meds as prescribed, or that they may be abusing prescription medications without realizing it? Contact us here at Home Aide Home Care. Often, daily check-ins from a licensed home care provider is exactly what’s needed to ensure medications are taken as prescribed and to keep seniors eating well, active and socially engaged – a recipe for a longer, healthier and more independent senior life.

Homebound seniors need exercise even more than their outwardly active counterparts. Homebound often equals sedentary if you’re not careful. Fortunately, there are plenty of exercises that you can do right in the comfort of your own home – even if you’re wheelchair or bedbound.

Please Note: Seniors and/or their caregivers should always speak to their physician about any new exercise routine to verify it’s advisable for their physical condition. If not, the doctor will have specific exercise instructions more personalized to the individual’s needs.

5 Exercises For Homebound Seniors

Here are 5 exercises that are safe for seniors to do at home. The benefits will be noticeable via improved muscle tone, increased strength and stamina and better balance. Plus, most experts agree that regular exercise – at least five days a week – improves mood and can improve sleep habits.

Chair-specific exercises

The HASFIT YouTube channel has to great chair exercises. If you’re just starting out, we recommend the 10-minute version. Once you’ve built endurance, move on up to the 20-minute version. With everything from brisk “marches in place” to arm exercises, these well-planned sequences get almost every part of your body moving.

If you are able, we recommend adding one or two-pound weights to wrist and ankles, as weight-bearing exercises are better for bone-building and reducing your risk of osteoporosis.

Get out to the garden

Have access to a small backyard, patio or balcony? Take advantage of the space you have and plant a garden. Gardening gets homebound seniors outside and working – not to mention producing nutritious vegetables and fruits and or gorgeous ornamental flowers that add meaning, flavor and value to life. If you don’t have the space for a raised bed, you can grow virtually any vegetable or fruit you can think of (climate-relevant, of course) in containers.

Take a yoga class

There was a time when taking a yoga class meant leaving the home and visiting a yoga studio or a senior center that offered yoga classes. Now, all you need is a TV, the right DVD, a computer, a tablet or some other form of screen technology and you can take a class at home.

Amazon.com has multiple DVD options for senior-oriented yoga poses – both seated and standing. You can also visit YouTube to watch senior yoga classes filmed at yoga studios by certified yoga instructors. Two of our favorites are:

As Tatis Cervantes-Aiken reminds us, always listen to your body. Never force any exercise motion or pose, and always modify any exercises, stretches or poses that triggers or exacerbates an existing injury.

Overhead arm raise

This seated exercise helps to strengthen the arms. We like that if you don’t have weights, you can copy the picture Shown Here and use soup cans or small water bottles instead. Even that little bit of resistance makes a big difference when you’re exercising.

Sit comfortably in a chair with your body straight

Place feet flat on the floor, hips-width apart

Hold the weights in your hand and raise your forearms up, as if you’re making muscles with each arm, with the upper-arm perpendicular to the body, elbows bent at 90° angles. Palms should be facing forwards.

Take a deep breath in and out, and in again.

As you exhale, slowly reach your arms up until elbows are almost straight, but not quite. Take a breath and then slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Rest between each set and try to work up to 10 to 15 sets per session.

Leg straightening

Now it’s time to balance that upper-body workout with a lower-body workout. Still seated, roll a towel and place it under your thighs on the chair, right behind the knee, providing thigh support. You can see what this looks like by Clicking Here.

Take one full breath, in and out.

Breathe in again and as you breathe out, slowly raise one leg out in front of you, without allowing your knee to lose contact with the chair.

Flex your foot so your toe is in the air and hold this position for one or two seconds.

Slowly lower your foot to the ground, take another breath and repeat.

Do this 10 to 15 times. Then switch and repeat with the other leg.

Do 10 to 15 different sets, per leg, each day.

Visit Go For Life’s, Try These Exercises page for more exercises that focus on strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance.

Are you interested in integrating at-home exercises for homebound seniors into your life? Consider working with HomeAide Home Care’s team of caregiving professionals. Our licensed caregivers can do these exercises with you or your senior loved ones and we also offer a range of senior-oriented caregiving services that promote health and well-being.

Are you or someone you love interested in aging-in-place. While “aging in place” seems like a contemporary trend, it’s actually a return to the way all of us aged, prior to the post-war era. In the past several decades, both seniors, their families, and their pocketbooks have realized that remaining in a comfortable home, surrounded by the things, people and pets you love most, is often the most desirable scenario for everyone involved. The best way to do this is to create a universal home design.

Not only is aging-in-place proven to improve healing rates, senior mental and emotional health – it’s also considerably more affordable than moving into an assisted living or nursing home facility. When you pair the choice to remain at home – and bring the care to you as needed – and the tenets of universal home design, you create a living space that is entirely dedicated to your safety, comfort, and ease of mobility.

For specific details about universal home design, we recommend visiting the AARP’s article on the subject.

What is a Universal Home Design?

As we mentioned before, the goal of a universal design is to promote safety, comfort, and ease of mobility. In some cases, very little to no construction is required to create a universal design. In others, you may find it’s worthwhile to build an accessibly designed remodel. The latter ensures fixtures and finishes are new, stylish and comply with ADA building codes, all of which can increase the value of the home when/if it is eventually sold down the road.

Also, baby boomers often find a universally-themed remodel allows them to have their parents move in, as well as their own aging-in-place later on, which can collectively save tens of thousands of dollars. You do this by:

Creating a beautiful lighting design

Yes! You might not think of lighting first but lighting designs are an integral part of a remodel and they need to be thought about beforehand to be installed artfully. This includes a range of different lighting types:

Windows and skylights for ample daylighting. Not only does this keep electrical costs down during the day, it also helps to preserve human circadian rhythm, which will help to ease the daily rhythms for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Plenty of task-lights set on dimmers. Artificial lighting should be warm, bright and task-oriented to improve visibility for senior eyes once the sun goes down – and ambient light creates attractive night lighting in the bathrooms and kitchen.

Floodlights and outdoor lighting. All of the exterior entrances and immediate outdoor areas should be well-illuminated using floods and other outdoor lighting sources. Special emphasis should be placed on ramps, stairways, walkways, and paths.

Motion-sensitive lighting. Motion-sensitive lights are always a bonus, set at certain times to ensure lights turn on when a senior enters a room or opens an exterior door, even if s/he forgets to turn on the switch.

Grab bars at all toilets, bathroom and shower areas

Grab bars are a tenet of senior bathroom safety because the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house – it’s hard, slippery and provides minimal room for comfortable maneuvering. Grab bars should be installed next to the toilet and within easy reach of bath and shower areas, as well as inside the bath or shower.

Flooring that’s compatible with mobility aids

Almost all seniors wind up using some form of mobility aid as they age. For this reason, universal designs automatically focus on flooring that is easy for canes, walkers, and wheelchairs to traverse. Typically, this involves a combination of linoleum (which is softer than tile or hardwood but comes in amazing luxurious patterns these days) and low-profile carpet.

Room to move around

This includes doorways, hallways, the space between the kitchen island and perimeter cabinets, the tables, and chairs, inside the bathroom, etc. Most universal designs will allow at least 38-inches or more so those with a walker or wheelchair can easily get around without having to constantly shimmy, lift, squeeze or reshuffled chairs and other furnishings.

Cabinets, drawers, and faucets that are easy to operate

Small doors and handles that need to be gripped are more difficult to operate when hands are weak and/or arthritis. A universal design eliminates this risk by using bar-style pulls and handles, and easy-lever faucets (or touch-sensitive faucets) to ensure seniors never have a problem accessing their drawers, cupboards, sinks, baths/showers, etc.

Smartly designed storage

Universal designs are often referred to as “accessible.” Not surprisingly, storage areas in kitchens, baths, and hallways are often inaccessible – particularly if they require a fair amount of bending, getting down on hands and knees, getting onto stepladders and so on. Instead, functional storage puts the things you use most within easy reach and utilizes things like pull-out shelving, pull-down racks, and lazy Susans to make cupboards and storage closets safer and more efficient.

As we mentioned before, a simple home rearranging and a few accommodations may be all your home needs to be more accessible. Or, if more significant work is required (like the installation of ramps, railings, new flooring, etc.), it’s worth considering a full, universally designed remodel. The combination of funds saved by aging-in-place, and the increased resale value, will make your new, accessible home well-worth the investment.

Looking for some fun, holiday-inspired mocktail and cocktail recipes for your senior loved ones and/or other family members? Look no further. We have some recipes and references for the hosts/entertainers in the family.

Serve Delicious Mocktail and Cocktail Magic at Your Holiday Feast

There are plenty of reasons senior loved-ones may not be allowed to drink alcohol. From recovering alcoholics and those with dementia, to seniors with dietary restrictions that eliminate alcohol – it’s easy for loved ones and friends to feel left out during holiday toasts.

Fortunately, the following holiday-inspired cocktail recipes are easily converted into mocktails so nobody feels left out of the fun. Even the kids can enjoy their mocktails, without any of the alcohol.

Cranberry Margaritas

These cranberry margaritas from gimmesomeoven.com are a host(ess)’s dream. Not only can they be prepared in advance, you can mix whole pitchers at a time without the alcohol so guests can serve themselves. Those who want the alcoholic version can have a shot of the tequila and a splash of Triple Sec added and stirred into their cup.

The recipe includes:

Cranberries

Tequila

Fresh lime juice

An orange liqueur (like Triple Sec)

Fresh cranberries and lime wedges for garnish

Salt for the glass rims

For non-alcoholic batches simply leave out the Tequila and add a splash of fresh-squeezed orange or tangerine juice.

Once your guests arrive – salt the glass rims, fill them with ice, poor the mock/cocktails and garnish with cranberries to float on top and a slice of lime on the rim.

Apple Pie Punch (great iced or hot)

Here’s another one that can be mixed up ahead of time (yahoo!) and is easy to “sneak” as a mocktail. This recipe comes to us via thecookierookie.com.

You’ll need:

One ripe apple, sliced into thin, lengthwise slices

Apple cider

Pear nectar (cans of Kearns are typically on the juice aisles of the grocery store)

Ginger Ale

Apple Pie Vodka

Just like the Cranberry margaritas, this can be mixed ahead of time and single, 1.5 oz shots of the vodka can be added to those who want them. This punch can be served as an iced-beverage, with an apple slice on the edge, or as a hot punch (heated up on the stove in a pan and ladled) with a slice of apple in the mug.

Pumpkin Pie Martini (and guess what? They’re low-carb!)

What good would holiday-inspired mocktails be if we didn’t include a little pumpkin? Martinis are a favorite of the senior set, and these pumpkin pie flavored versions will be a hit with the millennials too!

Each one is mixed in a cocktail mixer and shaken with ice, poured into a glass that’s pre-coated with the scrumptious Rimming Sugar. The mocktail versions are made using sparkling water to make up the vodka/rum difference – along with a splash of vanilla for extra flavor. Cheers!

The Perfect Holiday Drink that can be Made as a Mocktail and Cocktail

We’ll conclude with one of our staff favorites, called The Perfect Thanksgiving Drink, shared by ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com. In addition to ease, the most striking thing about this drink is that you can make it in your clear, party-sized, water/iced tea dispenser used to serve cold beverages during the summer months.

In this case, the jugs – one with alcohol and one without – can be set atop your buffet or island bar top for a beautiful, colorful, serve-yourself drink station.

Once you’ve mixed the ingredients together, you can put them in your drink dispenser with plenty of ice and get ready for lots of compliments.

Does your senior loved one have a favorite cocktail they can no longer have as the result of their medical diagnosis, dementia or other health issue? You can easily make mocktail and cocktail beverages this holiday! The internet is a wonderful resource for finding non-alcoholic alternatives that can make all the difference in a senior’s ability to “maintain their preferred routine.”

The owners and staff at Bay Area-based HomeAide Home Care wish you and your family a wonderful holiday. Don’t hesitate to call us if you need respite care services over this upcoming holiday weekend or to learn more about the ways we can ensure your senior loved ones receive compassionate and experienced care while you’re out of town or away for a while.

Home care comes in a variety of forms – from spouses and family members, to friends or acquaintances looking for a way to make extra money, to both a unlicensed and licensed home care agency.

When your loved one requires home care, outside the realm of spouse and immediate family circle – whether that be for respite care, or on a more regular or day-to-day basis – it is always in your best interest to work with licensed home care providers.

What Does Licensed Home Care Agency Mean?

As a means of ensuring education, training and experience – as well as protecting clients from elder abuse – the state of California has created licensing and/or certification boards that govern the home care industry. The Home Care Bureau of California is one such example of this. Working with agencies registered with third-party, industry-recognized entities helps to validate that:

Home care providers are licensed

The individual caregivers are current in their education, training and industry best practices

That caregivers have been screened and passed complete background checks and DMV clearance

The any disputes against the agency have been investigated and settled

That you are protected and have a means of following through if care is negligible or lacking in any way

The agency and caregivers are subject to unannounced visits to ensure the environment they create and the care they provide meet or exceed state standards

When scheduling a consultation with a particular home care provider – whether private or working with an agency – ask for their license number and check it with the governing agency to verify it is both legitimate and current.

The Benefits of Working With a Licensed Home Care Agency

Above and beyond safety, professionalism and accountability – there are other benefits to working with a licensed home care agency:

Education paired with experience

The home care industry is attuned to the latest research and innovations when it comes to seniors and memory care. As a result, licensed agencies are more likely to keep on the latest research by attending and/or sending their employees to classes, conferences and training sessions to keep abreast of the latest-and-greatest caregiving techniques and information. This benefits clients and helps your loved one to receive the best, most relevant care for his/her situation.

You won’t be left in the lurch

If you hire a single, private home caregiver, you can wind up left in the lurch if s/he is sick, a child is sick or a family emergency arises. A licensed home care agency has access to multiple, licensed care providers so you’ll never be left with an appointment to cancel, having to take additional time off work or with the stress that a long-distance parent or loved one is left without care.

Costs are more likely to be absorbed by Medicare and/or health insurance carriers

Did you know many aspects of home health care are covered by insurance companies, including Medicare, MediCal and/or the Veterans Affairs Administration, depending on the client’s diagnosis and prognosis?

If a client is unable to attend appointments or tend to their own care as a result of being home- or bed-bound – you may find certain aspects of their home care is partially- or fully subsidized. However, these insurance carriers almost always require care be provided by a licensed home care provider or agency.

Employee taxes, benefits and insurance are taken care of

Odds are your caregiver pays taxes and is interested in healthcare insurance, social security and/or some other type of retirement benefit. This can add several dollars per hour to the amount you pay each shift. A reputable licensed home care agency will build these benefits into their payroll so they take on these responsibilities without you having to worry about it. We have access to more affordable, shared-cost benefit options for small- and medium business owners that an individual hiring a caregiver would not have the ability to tap into.

Caregivers are available on short notice

Optimally, we prefer to meet for a full, in-home assessment and consultation before contracting with an individual client. However, life doesn’t always pan out “optimally.” Just as you’ll never be without care if your normal care provider isn’t available, a licensed home care agency has caregivers available on short-term notice if/when you find yourself needing a break or have another emergency that will take you away from your loved one for a day, a night, or even extended periods of time.

HomeAide Home Care, Inc. is a licensed home care agency servicing Alameda County and the surrounding Bay Area. Our team of licensed, experienced and compassionate caregivers have decades of experience and view their work as a joy and a calling. Contact us to learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation. We believe, “there’s no place like home,” and feel confident our loving caregivers are second to none.

The good news is that home care costs are far less than the charges associated with assisted living or nursing home facilities. That being said, someone still has to foot the bill for high-quality home care– and that can be difficult for seniors living on a fixed income. Veterans Affairs benefits could be the untapped funding source you need to get the home care assistance you want.

After reviewing the following information, you can contact the Veterans Administration directly via their VA’s Caregiver Support Line —1-855-260-3274.

Veterans Affairs Benefits May Cover a Portion of Home Care Costs

The Veterans Affairs Administration (VA) offers a range of services for veterans with family caregivers. These services run the gamut from free or very low-cost adult day care agencies in your area to home-based care, depending on the individual’s needs.

If you prefer to receive care at home, helping senior loved ones remain more independent, the VA can help with that as well. Currently, some of the home care services supported by the VA include:

Home Care Aide & Housekeeping Services

Does your veteran senior loved one have a hard time keeping up with basic daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, housekeeping, meal preparation, etc.? All of these services and more can be provided by a licensed home care aide.

In addition to these basic services, home care aides can also serve as:

Companions

Drivers

Errand runners

Medication reminders

Bill payers

Home organizers

Pet walkers and caregivers

And more

You can Click Here to read more about the typical services included in home care services.

Skilled Home Care

For some seniors, getting out of the home independently is impossible, not to mention exhausting. The alternative would be hospitalization or long-term rehabilitation, yet this takes individuals out of the comfort zone of their home, as well as away from the people and things they love most. As a result, both Medicare and the VA offer financial compensation for skilled care to be brought into the home.

Skilled home care is most often administered by CNAs, LVNs, and RNs and covers things like:

Often, skilled home care providers and home care aides work together to provide more comprehensive care for veterans with medical concerns that need to be treated on a regular basis.

Respite Care Services

In many case, the primary caregiver is a spouse or family member. Full-time caregiving is physically and emotionally demanding. If outside help is unavailable, primary family caregivers eventually burn out. In addition to compromising their own well-being, burned out caregivers are unable to provide quality care to their loved one. Respite care is the solution to this all-to-common problem.

Respite care can be offered on a one-time basis, or it can be provided on a weekly or daily basis to allow primary caregivers a chance to have some time off. The service provides full-time caregivers the chance to attend important social, religious or family events, observe necessary medical appointments, take a little time for much-deserved self-care and so on.

Home Hospice Care

Hospice care is an amazing service, allowing those with a terminal diagnosis the ability to end their life at home or in a designated hospice care community, as comfortably and peacefully as possible. While hospice care is provided on a regular basis, it is not a full-time service. As a result, many families find it necessary to use a combination of hospice care, family caregivers and/or home care aides in order to take more comprehensive care of their loved one.

Once you’ve found out what you qualify for, begin scheduling consultations with local, qualifying home care agencies. These consultations give you and the client a chance to get a feel for various approaches so you can select the home care providers you feel most comfortable with. Agency representatives can also provide assistance and insight as you work with the VA, Medicare and/or personal health insurance providers to help with the financial aspects of home care.

Interested in learning more about home care services in the Bay Area? Contact us here at HomeAide Home Care. We’ve provided high-quality, licensed home care to seniors in and around the San Francisco and Oakland Bay areas for decades.

It’s not easy to choose the best home care provider for your loved one. There are many factors to consider, including cost, experience, the services required and – of course – the legitimacy of the care provided. The Home Care Services Bureau of California is a state-run agency, dedicated to ensuring professional home care agencies and providers are educated, trained and qualified to provide care. The bureau operates under the umbrella of CA’s Department of Social Services.

We recommend using their search registry to verify the licensing of any home care aide working on behalf of yourself or a senior loved one.

What does the Home Care Bureau of California Do?

In addition to verifying the qualifications and credentials of professional home health care aides, the Home Care Bureau of California:

Processes applications and administers licenses to home care agencies and caregivers.

Maintains the state’s home care aide registry.

Ensures licensees have completed the criminal background check process administered by the California Department of Social Services.

Receives and responds to complaints from clients or other members of the public about home care aides and/or agencies.

Performs unannounced visits to ensure an agency and/or caregiver is in compliance with state codes and regulations.

Maintains records regarding complaints and violations for up to five years.

Use the Home Care Bureau’s Search Function to Verify the Legitimacy of Home Care Aides (HCA)

Before meeting with any home health care agency or home care aide for a consultation, we recommend getting his or her:

First name

Last name

Personnel Identification Number

This information is required to access the Home Care Aid Registry Search Function. There is no use spending time interviewing, getting into contract with or creating a relationship with caregivers who do not meet the state’s criteria.

The Home Care Bureau Also Provides Resources and Support for both Caregivers, Clients and Family

In addition to promoting the professionalism, integrity and quality of home health care, the Home Care Bureau also provides a wealth of information, resources and support for both caregivers, their clients and/or client family members.

The Home Care Bureau of California offers links to:

Search the home care registry. As mentioned above, this search will let you know whether prospective caregiver(s) is licensed. It only costs $25 to apply to the registry, which shouldn’t prohibit any qualified representatives from becoming members of the registry. In most cases, legitimate home care agencies cover these costs for employees who pass their screening requirements.

Find licensed community care facilities. For seniors who require adult day care or memory care, community care facilities and home care organizations are lifesavers. These services are significantly more affordable than the costs associated with traditional assisted living or nursing home facilities.For example: Click Here to search for a home care organization in your area. Then search via county or zip code. To find HomeAide Home Care, you can simply select “Alameda” from the dropdown county list, and then click the “Search” tab. There you’ll find us – in alphabetical order – located on page 3. You can then click, “View” to the right of the organization for more information.In our case, you’ll see that we have zero citations and zero complaints – something we are very proud of.

The ability to contact a social services agency if needed. In most cases, this wouldn’t be necessary unless you are need to file a complaint or reporting suspected elder or client abuse. Just as the Child Protective Services investigates complaints of child abuse or neglect, the Adult Protective Services investigates cases where adult abuse and/or neglect is suspected.

Schedule a Consultation with an Agency Licensed with the Home Care Bureau of California

Are you interested in learning more about home care services for someone you love? Contact HomeAide Home Care to schedule a free, in home consultation and assessment. These are no-obligation visits, giving us a chance to speak with you about your concerns and how we can be of service. We are fully licensed and all of our caregivers have been thoroughly vetted via complete criminal background checks and DMV reports. We offer part-time, full-time and respite care services, and our compassionate touch can be a welcome augmentation to existing skilled nursing care.

Senior moments are the stuff jokes are made of. When true forgetfulness or confusion sets in, however, it’s no laughing matter. Seniors in the beginning stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s can be very embarrassed or scared, and their safety can be put at risk, as the result of mental lapses.

For this reason, it’s important to know the difference between normal, age-related forgetfulness and dementia or other dementia-related cognitive decline. Some of the changes are very subtle, but if you know what to look for, you’ll be able to schedule an appointment with a healthcare professional sooner rather than later. Today’s and memory care and treatment options, as well as new medications, can significantly slow down dementia’s development – but early diagnosis and treatment are key.

If you think you or someone you love suffers from dementia-related memory loss, schedule an appointment with a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Proactive care, including in-home care and support, can make all the difference when it comes to supporting general well-being and independence.

Normal age-related memory loss

All kinds of forgetful moments show up on the very normal spectrum of “age-related memory loss.” These include things like forgetting a person’s name, not remembering where you put the grocery list, having a hard time remembering which year you went on that Hawaiian vacation, etc.

While irritating at best, or embarrassing at worst (like forgetting a person’s name or a lunch date), these memory lapses are completely normal. In fact, while it may be a sign of aging, occasional forgetfulness is just as likely to occur as the result of depression, anxiety, stress, a busy schedule, lack of sleep and so on.

Dementia-related memory loss

Dementia-related memory loss is much more serious than age-related memory loss. It’s important to note the difference because signs and symptoms of dementia can emerge as long as 15-years prior to actual diagnosis, by which point it can be too late to make a difference. By catching dementia early, while in its earliest stages, doctors can prescribe diet and lifestyle changes, brain training exercises and/or certain medications to slow down its onset and preserve mental agility for as long as possible.

The following are some of the mild to moderate symptoms of dementia:

More difficulty with short-term memory issues

During the beginning stages, adults with dementia may remember events or information from long ago in great detail, but they have difficulty with short-term memory. Perhaps they can tell you a funny story from second grade, or an embarrassing moment on their wedding day, but they can’t remember what they did last weekend or where the family spent the holidays last year.

A general and more routine forgetfulness

Age-related memory loss can make it more difficult to remember the name of a casual acquaintance or someone you met last week – every once in a while. Dementia-related memory loss becomes routine. All of a sudden, you’re forgetting names and faces or appointments on a regular basis, rather than just once in a great while. For example, forgetting a doctor’s appointment once is okay, forgetting it multiple times – even when it’s written on the calendar – is another.

Inability to focus and/or becoming distracted more frequently

Those with dementia-related memory problems will find it more difficult to focus on tasks that were easy in the past, such as reading directions while driving or following a new recipe, keeping up with the news, and so on. As a result, they may wander away while the chocolate chip cookie dough was only half finished, and not remember to return. The checkbook that was meticulously balanced previously is now neglected or filled with errors and omissions. A person with dementia might forget the rules of a favorite game or have trouble following along while playing cards.

For most of us, an occasional gaffe is cause for anxiety or defensiveness, but you might find a person with dementia reacts with even more embarrassment, shame, anxiety or even anger because deep down they sense – or know – that something is wrong.

Notable and atypical shifts in mood or temperament

A person who was grouchy in general is prone to being even more grouchy during the senior years. However, those with dementia may experience more severe swings in mood or temperament, ranging from uncharacteristic bursts of anger to bouts of depression or intense clinginess with their partner or another family member.

As things progress, seniors with dementia can get lost on during their daily walk around the block or while running errands in the car. Stove burners might be left on or basic hygiene is neglected. At this point, more serious interventions must take place in order to keep the individual (as well as others) safe and ensure their daily needs are taken care of.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s should be diagnosed by a healthcare professional

While dementia isn’t a disease, it is diagnosable based on established tests and screening available via a trusted physician. Schedule an appointment for an assessment if you feel memory issues are affecting your quality of life. In some cases, you may learn a latent medical condition or the side effects of a particular medication (or even a urinary tract infection!) are the culprits.

If a loved one has recently been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, we recommend reading, Connecting With And Caring For Those With Dementia. You can also schedule an appointment for a free, in-home assessment with a local home care provider to learn more about the services available to you to help your loved one age-in-place.

Seniors face a long list of “health risks” as their bodies age. Some of the most common include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, arthritis and type 2 diabetes. For some, dementia, Alzheimer’s or other factors causing cognitive decline enter the picture. In every single case, observing an anti-inflammatory diet can do a world of good when it comes to reducing the effects – or even reversing – a spectrum of medical conditions and their symptoms.

Using an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Promotes Health & Reduces the Effects of Most Medical Conditions

The more we learn about the body and its immune system, the more we realize the toll that inflammation takes. In its purest form, inflammation is a good thing. It’s the body’s “call to arms” so to speak, revving up the immune system response to fight an invader or heal a particular area that is damaged or diseased.

Sometimes, however, when the body is barraged by invaders, is inundated by inflammatory triggers, or is simply rundown – the inflammatory response runs amok, and it winds up compromising an individual’s general well-being. Focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet – one which decreases inflammation and eliminates food sources that cause inflammation – can have a notable effect on a seniors energy levels, positive mental outlook, pain reduction and overall health.

Some medical conditions are marked by chronic inflammation. These include:

Almost any medical condition is exacerbated by inflammation, because chronic inflammation suppresses the body’s immune system, wearing it down to a point that it can’t do its job, fighting diseases or repairing damaged tissues.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet?

An anti-inflammatory diet is one that focuses on healthy foods, and food sources that are known to reduce inflammation. It’s also used to mitigate or eliminate foods and ingredients that contribute to inflammation – namely processed sugars, processed white flour, foods high in saturated fats and so on.

It can take a good few weeks or more to adjust to the new diet, but for those who aren’t used to eating this way, the physical evidence of its positive effects can be downright shocking. Many seniors notice reduced swelling in their joints (if they have arthritis), which also reduces pain and achiness. Some may notice they are able to sleep better or that they have more energy by day. Increased energy means a greater ability to remain mobile and active, which continues the health benefits.

For a complete and detailed account of the ideal anti-inflammatory diet, we recommend reading more about Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet tips. Here are some of the highlights:

Focus on fresh rather than processed foods

Processed foods are typically higher in sugar, salts, fats, and additives that are not good for the body. The fresher food is, the better. Anti-inflammatory diets focus on snacks and meals comprised largely of fresh produce, lean meats, and whole-grains – the less packaged the better.

Eat the rainbow

You’ve probably heard this before, but a plate of food that is colorful – via a range of different vegetables and other food sources – is typically healthier than those that are a single color (namely white, processed foods and/or carbs).

Next time you and your senior loved one venture out to the grocery store, try picking up a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables – including ones you aren’t familiar with. The internet will have a wealth of new recipes for you to try – based on whatever new items you pick up.

Focus on percentages

Active seniors need about 2000 to 2200 calories per day; moderately active seniors require only 1800 calories per day and less-active seniors should consume no more than 1600 calories per day. Start counting calories and learning about portion control to make sure seniors are on target. This single step might result in notable weight loss.

Then, make sure you’re eating the right proportion of calories to food types:

30% should be from fats (focusing on lean meats, olive, grape seed or coconut oil, nuts, avocados and other sources of healthy, unsaturated fat)

20% to 30% should be protein (lean meats such as fish, skinless chicken, and turkey are best. Beef should be grass fed and pasture raised, legumes are an excellent source of protein as are eggs, nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.)

Each of your meals should be balanced this way if possible.

Eat fiber-rich foods

Ideally, adults should consume at least 40 grams of fiber per day. Fiber is good for the body. It keeps you fuller longer, keeps the digestive tract regular and is good for heart health. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber (berries and beans, particularly). Whole-grain cereals are also a good source of fiber, assuming they aren’t too sugary and that they include at least 4 or 5 grams of fiber per serving.

Need help with grocery shopping and meal prep to kick-start a new anti-inflammatory diet plan? Contact us here at HomeAide Home Care. Our licensed home care professionals are happy to make delicious and nutritious meals that adhere to your – or your senior loved one’s – dietary recommendations. We can prepare them and leave them in the fridge for easy eating or heating up, or we can provide meal companionship upon request. Our team is devoted to supporting and facilitating senior health and independence.